


see what i see

by sandpapersnowman



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Emotional Manipulation, M/M, Season/Series 04 Spoilers, Unrequited Love, lowkey, martin pines for jon and peter is flexin on that with nice words basically, praise kink implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-15 15:48:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19298854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandpapersnowman/pseuds/sandpapersnowman
Summary: “You’re a smart, dedicated young man, and I’m incredibly lucky to have you as my assistant."It’s definitely an inappropriate moment to notice that Peter is kind of attractive.(vague early season 4 timeline!)





	see what i see

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FriendlyCybird](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FriendlyCybird/gifts).



> title grabbed from marina's [Are You Satisfied](https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/marinathediamonds/areyousatisfied.html) bc i just spent the last literal hour trying to figure out a title
> 
> written for FriendlyCybird who gave me a ton of great prompts!! god Bless you

Peter walks into Martin’s office, still sheathed in Isolation, and Martin startles.

“Good morning,” Martin chirps, as though nothing is out of the ordinary.

Peter _beams_.

“You can see me?” Peter asks. “Right now?”

Martin looks around suspiciously like Peter is asking him a trick question.

“Yes?” he answers slowly. “Should I not?”

“No, that’s _great_ ,” Peter laughs. “That’s wonderful, Martin! Big step!”

Martin is smiling, still confused, but the heat flushing his cheeks certainly isn’t questioning the praise.

“Thanks, I guess,” he laughs too. “What did you need, though? Anything I can do for you?”

He steps forward to sit on the edge of Martin’s desk.

“I’d like to talk to you about Jon, actually” Peter says cautiously. “I know it’s a sore subject, but we _do_ need to talk about him.”

Martin really, really does not want to talk about him. Jon’s been in a ‘coma’ for four months now, showing as many signs of waking up as he had when Martin first visited his hospital bed, finding him pale and lifeless except for his vitals _insisting_ he was still technically there.

“Elias informed me of your soft spot for him before I took his position,” Peter says softly, pitying, probably _distinctly_ aware of how much of a soft spot it is. “You know your feelings weren’t requited, and now Jon is…”

Peter trails off. Martin asked him not to say ‘dead’ because it’s inaccurate and makes him panic, like the hospital is calling to let them know his brain functions have finally given up, and Peter has been heart-wrenchingly accommodating of it.

“Not around,” he decides to say. “If he ever _did_ wake up, he won’t be _Jon_ anymore, anyway.”

Martin swallows. Peter’s right, of course; he’d kept his feelings a secret to avoid the embarrassment and heartbreak of Jon finding out. It wouldn’t be mutual, and it’d make things awkward, and Jon would fumble around a hundred ways to say _I don’t want you_. And Martin knows that’s not his fault, either, he doesn’t blame Jon for not being interested in him or anyone else, he only blames himself for not trying to get over him sooner.

“I know,” Martin agrees. “I know, it’s just been —”

“— a lot,” Peter finishes for him. “I know.” His hand settles gently over Martin’s, cold but comforting, and gives it a squeeze. “You _will_ have time to move on. We will keep disrupting rituals and keeping things balanced, and it’ll all get easier. I promise.”

Martin nods.

“I know. I… Trust you,” he admits, surprising himself a little. It’s true; Peter’s motivations may be selfish and skewed toward the Lonely, but how much harm could that do, anyway? Nobody’s ever died of loneliness, right?

Peter’s smile widens. Martin would call the look _smug_ if it were on Elias’s face, or anyone else’s, but on Peter, it only looks pleased.

“Good,” he sighs. “You’re a smart, dedicated young man, and I’m incredibly lucky to have you as my assistant. It’s a shame that Jon didn’t appreciate you properly.”

Before Martin can wince at the mention of Jon in past tense again, Peter is tipping his head up, cool fingertips pressed under his chin.

“And I _do_ appreciate you, Martin,” he says. His tone seems too soft for his usual booming demeanor, and too… _Intimate_ for a work environment. It doesn’t help that Peter has leaned closer. “You know that, don’t you? That no matter how Jon or Elias or your other coworkers may have treated you, I will only ever be in awe of how far you’ve come and how far you’ll go.”

Martin, God help him, glances down at Peter’s mouth as he speaks. He’s so close, and saying things that are — they’re probably just professional expressions of admiration, as his employer, they must be, but it’s _nice_. He hasn’t been spoken to so sweetly in a long time, if _ever_.

It’s definitely an inappropriate moment to notice that Peter is kind of attractive. His sharp eyes and broad shoulders were intimidating when he’d taken over for Elias, especially when Martin had expected the worst from the last few years, but Peter has been nothing but helpful. Now they’re _appealing_ , those icy blues cutting through him, the silvered hair looking out of place on someone that still looks relatively young. Mid fifties, if he were human, and Martin’s only thirty but he wouldn’t kick an older man out of bed, if he looked like Peter.

That thought sobers him. He wouldn’t kick Peter out of bed, if he looked like himself? He wouldn’t kick _Peter_ out of bed.

“Thank you,” Martin replies, unsure what else to say in the wake of this unfortunate new development. He hates how breathy it comes out, like all it takes to woo him is a few kind words and a few gentle touches; mostly he hates it because it’s not that far from the truth, apparently. _Wouldn’t kick Peter out of bed,_ Christ. Is he just cursed to be interested in his direct superiors? It’s not even a power thing, so why does the universe keep handing him handsome men he absolutely cannot have?

He gingerly pulls his face out of Peter’s fingers with a nervous laugh and clears the misplaced interest from his throat.

“Was there anything else you needed, sir?”

(He can think of a few things he’d like Peter to ask of him, unwanted thoughts bubbling up his chest that he’ll think about, guiltily, later, but holds his tongue.)

“Oh!” Peter says, snapping back into his usual posture. “I also wanted to know if you’d like to come with me on a business trip next week. You’d still function as my assistant for the work things, of course, but Italy is gorgeous this time of year and I thought I’d treat you to a couple days vacation after, as well. Have you ever been?”

“To _Italy_?” Martin snorts. He’s only been out of the country for work, and he hasn’t ever actually _taken_ a vacation. “Can’t say I have, but I’d be happy to go with you.”

“Perfect. I’ll email you the itinerary once I have the tickets finalized. Will first class seating be alright?”

The smirk on one side of his mouth betrays that he’s joking, even if he sounds the same as always, and Martin laughs again. No need to be weird about Peter’s impromptu, outstanding performance review, or his own subsequent split-second crush. He’ll get the thought out of his mind in a day or two, he’s sure.

“Sounds lovely.”

As he Googles pictures of Italy, in the town Peter texts him they’ll be staying in, it occurs to him that he hasn’t looked forward to something in a very long time.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm also [sandpapersnowman on tumblr](sandpapersnowman.tumblr.com) and lyric/ille in the official discord! hmu!


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